


ego sum

by amosanguis



Series: creature AUs [25]
Category: Magic Mike (2012), Magic Mike (Movies), Magic Mike XXL (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, BAMF Mike, BAMF Rome, Dubious Morality, F/M, M/M, No Endgame Pairing, Not Canon Compliant, Off-Screen Blood Drinking, Vampire Mike, Vampire Rome, Werewolf Dallas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 21:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4364381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amosanguis/pseuds/amosanguis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikael is found by a beautiful woman, starving and beaten bloody in a Roman back alley – a refugee from Pompeii, one of the few who had fled the city before it was too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	ego sum

**Author's Note:**

> _Ego sum_ is Latin for “I am”; I wrote Rome’s name in as Domina, because this is from Mike’s POV, and that’s his name for her. Like how we only refer to our parents by “mom” or “dad”.
> 
> Not related to my other Magic Mike vamp au. I just really like the idea of Mike as a vampire, guys.

-z-

 

Mikael is found by a beautiful woman, starving and beaten bloody in a Roman back alley – a refugee from Pompeii, one of the few who had fled the city before it was too late. (He remembers only standing on a hilltop and screaming at the huge black clouds, cursing the fire-painted sky).

“Oh, beautiful one,” she tells him, claw-like fingers trailing down the side of his bruised face.  “Who would hit you?”

He doesn’t tell her that he had been caught with a hand in someone else’s purse, that he had been trying to take just enough to feed himself.

Instead, trying to smirk, he says, “I just got into an argument with these stones here.”

“Who won?” she asks, the corner of her lip curling into a soft smirk – revealing a pointed fang. 

Mikael doesn’t know why he doesn’t run, instead he looks her in her golden-red eyes, and says, “I’m not sure; think they did.”

She huffs a soft laugh as she leans in closer and closer.  “Would you like to come with me?” she asks, her lips moving across his skin.  “I’d love to teach you to dance.”

“I’d love to learn to dance,” Mikael says even as weakness settles into his bones, as exhaustion pulls him further down against the wall until he lay on his side, his head cradled softly in her hands.

Her lips are at his ear, saying, “I’ll make everything better.”

“Ah,” Mikael mutters, his words hardly more than an exhalation of breath, “ _mea domina – ego sum Mikael_.”   ( _My mistress_ – _I am Mikael._ )

“Sleep, Mikael,” Domina whispers, “all will be well come the morning.”

Mikael feels himself beginning to slip under, not at all worried about the pinching sensation on his neck.

 

-x-

 

Mikael stays with Domina in her brothel, learning about what he was, what he could do, what powers would come to him with age (“Some of our kind can take the forms of the animals of the night,” Domina tells him, “others can read thoughts or control certain elements – especially fire and wind; and there are others, ancient in their years, who can do all of these things.”).

She teaches him how to seduce others of their kind with a fanged-smile (“But be wary,” she says, over and over, “only approach those I send your way; you’re young still, and Old Ones have been known to kill Fledglings for the sport of it.”) and how to lure humans in with a simple look.

She teaches him how to drink slowly and steadily throughout the night, taking only a little from each of his many patrons – men and women both who clamor loudly for Mikael’s ministrations, competing desperately for his affections; each wishing that the day would come when Mikael would choose to leave Domina for them. 

But the thought of leaving Domina makes Mikael recoil – he was still young in those days and couldn’t fathom life beyond her reach.

 

-

 

Mikael loves her the way any childe loves their sire – wholly and completely. 

He lets her mold him and shape him, seeks only to make her proud and to bring profit to her many brothel houses.  (She gives him a property to fix and fill and manage on his own on his 100th birthday, tells him how _good_ he is, how _bright and beautiful_ _and smart_ he is; “You’ll do so well,” she says, kissing him deeply, “my wonderful childe.”)

 

-

 

“ _Domina_ ,” he whispers reverently, presenting with a flourish a beautiful Egyptian man with sharp cheeks and green eyes, “I have someone I would like for you to meet; his name is Ra.  He’s one of my newest, but I thought you’d like to see him before others had him.”

“He is lovely, Mikael,” she says, pulling Mikael down for a sweet-slow kiss before turning to the Egyptian and tugging him towards her bed.

 

-x-

 

He’s been with her for 274 years the first time she leaves him.

“Take care of the brothels,” she says, pressing a quick kiss to his lips, “I’ll write to you when I can.”

“Where are you going?” Mikael asks, already feeling a pang of loss.

Domina smiles at him, says, “Don’t worry, childe, I’ll be back.” Mikael pouts at her, whining at the back of his throat, as she lets herself be helped into the small cart filled with her belongings.  “Oh, hush,” she admonishes lightly. “ _Valē_ , Mikael.” ( _Good-bye, Mikael._ )

Mikael finally just nods and says, “ _Valē,_ Domina.”

 

-

 

That night, still sorrow-heavy with missing his sire, Mikael feels his skin beginning to tingle, feels his bones beginning to tremble.  He screams as his back suddenly contorts and spasms, as his muscles burn and his blood boils.

It’s over almost as soon as it’s begun – and suddenly the room is so much larger.

Mikael tries to call for help, but all he hears is a chirp-screech.  Slowly he turns to a mirror, sees a bat moving as he does – bobbing its head as Mikael does, moving its wing as Mikael moves his arm.

 _Well, shit_ , Mikael thinks.

(Domina comes home five years later to a flourishing new string of brothels and her childe flitting about her head, chirping happily.

“But you’re still so young,” she says, awe and pride in her voice, “I knew you were special, Mikael, my love.”)

 

-x-

 

After they left Italy and moved to America, Mikael has taken to venture away from his sire every few decades – to travel and to gain experience.  He wants to know all about the world before it inevitably changes – just like all things do with the passage of time.

 

-

 

Mikael goes west, first – tumbling about with cowboys and learning about guns.  He rides only the fastest horses and feeds only from evil men.

Then there are whispers about gold in the far North and men are told to bring their best dogs and a pick axe.  Mikael sends word back to Domina, who had just settled a new “orphanage” somewhere in upstate New York, telling her that he’s going to the Klondike; then he’s hopping onto a steamer.

 

-

 

He spends eight years wandering up and down the frozen rivers – learning from the Native vampires how to walk silently and how to track; how to go weeks without blood without losing his mind.  They teach him how to fight like the wolf of the forests – how to slip in through an opponent’s defenses, strike, then leap free.

Then one day, as he goes to shift for the trip back to Dawson City, it’s not wings he feels his arms becoming as he falls forward – looking down at himself, he sees wolf paws in the snow.  He feels his jaws hanging open, feels his lips curling up, and his tongue lolling out to the side – grinning wolfishly.

 

-

 

He’s in Dawson when he meets a young man just fresh in from the trail; Mikael loves him instantly.

The man introduces himself as Jack; he tells Mikael (who was going by _Buck_ ) that he’s a writer looking for his next story.

“I’m sure you’ll find it soon enough,” Mikael says, throwing an arm around Jack’s shoulders as he passes him the bottle of whiskey.

“I think I will, Buck,” Jack says, looking up at Mikael from under his eye lashes.  Mikael smirks – he knows the meaning of that look, had made a lot of money from men and women who wore it – and settles himself more heavily against Jack’s side, the din of the bar around them fading to the back of his mind.

 

-

 

It’s not until Jack announces that he was heading back to San Francisco that Mikael decides it was time for him to head home, too.

“I think I’ll accompany you,” Mikael says.

“Lovely,” Jack says, smiling softly up at him from their shared bed.  “And where is home for you?”

Mikael looks over at his desk, at the letters from Domina before turning back to Jack and saying, “New York, for now.”

Jack shivers, says, “I’ve had enough snow for five lifetimes.”

Mikael laughs, harder than the comment probably warrants if Jack’s raised eyebrows were anything to go by.  When he collects himself, he makes a mental note to try to convince Domina to move further south as soon as it was safe for her to do so.  He’s spent his five lifetimes in the snow – he’d like to know warmth.

 

-

 

Their ship had just arrived at San Francisco and Mikael was looking forward to getting ashore.

“Why don’t you stay with me?” Jack asks suddenly, standing at the door of their shared room, fidgeting slightly.

Mikael’s first instinct is to agree – but he misses Domina, misses her comforting presence.  It’s not the longest they’ve been apart, but for Mikael is seems like it is.  His isolation in the wilderness as he perfected and honed skills learned from the natives – the long stretches of weeks and months with only birds for company – have given way to a pronounced _want_ for Domina.

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Mikael says, “but there’s someone I must be getting back to.”

Jack smiles, a little sad around the edges, before he just nods and says, “Well, Buck, the next time you’re in California—”

“Of course,” Mikael says, stepping forward and pressing a chaste kiss to Jack’s mouth, “of course.”

Jack smiles up at him again before turning around and leaving the room.

Mikael never sees him again.

 

-

 

Mikael’s mouth drops when he sees Domina waiting for him on the pier – wearing a beautiful white and black dress, the collar dipped enticingly low; women standing near her looked absolutely scandalized while their men were busy not looking, but looking, as she twirled a parasol in one hand and fixed her sunglasses with the other.

Mikael runs to her as soon as he can break free from the crowd and wraps her up in his arms – not caring if he made a fool out of himself, not caring about the hard glares they were getting.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he breathes against her neck.

“I’ve missed you, too, childe,” she whispers.  When she pulls back, she links her arm with his and pulls him towards a waiting carriage.  “Now,” she says, “tell me everything you’ve been up to.”

“Oh, Domina,” Mikael says, “I barely know where to begin.”

 

-

 

They’re back in New York when, passing by a book shop, Mikael’s feet suddenly stop – his eyes catching a book titled: _Call of the Wild_.

 

-x-

 

Looking back, Dallas was something that Mikael should have seen coming from miles away.

Dallas, who comes swaggering up to him, calling him _Mike_ and _Mikey_ , tells him he can give him his very own show.  Dallas, who smells of burning wild forests and sweat and sex – the latter two scents a combination found on any werewolf.

 

-

 

“I don’t like that ‘wolf,” Domina snarls, pacing angrily, “he’s trouble, mark my words.  Don’t see him again.”

But Mikael has always had a soft spot for the ‘wolves – he’s always appreciated their fierceness and the heat of them – so he listens to what Dallas has to say.

 

-

 

“I just want—”

Domina whirls around, her lips twisted as she snarls savagely at him, “ _Then **go**._ ”

“Domina—”

Her claws rake across his face – it’s the first time she’s ever struck out at him in a rage (they’ve fought before, of course, but she’s never _injured_ him) – and Mikael doesn’t know how to process the blow.  He’s frozen.  Rooted to the ground.  Until her claws slash him again – tearing open his shoulder and chest – and then he’s taking flight, shifting forms to screech at the moon as he beat leathery wings harshly against the air.

He flies hard and fast, ignoring his wounds until he crashes in front of Dallas’s motel room, shifts, and tears his way inside.  Then Mikael just crumples, burying his fingers in his hair as he falls forward, his forehead slamming into the carpet, as he shakes angrily; a bitterness beginning to well inside and settle like acid in his lungs.

Dallas stays pressed against the far wall – snarling deep in his chest, the scent of fear thick in the room, until Mikael finally begins to uncurl.  Then, slowly, Dallas creeps forward but staying out of striking distance.

“You okay there, Mike?” Dallas asks.

“Yeah,” Mike says.

“I take it she didn’t like you leaving,” Dallas says, the words more of a statement then a question.

“Yeah,” Mike says again.

 

-x-

 

He’s with Dallas for a year when they pick up Ken – who dances beautifully and smells of the ocean.  He’s also mixed up with an abandoned Fledgling.

 

-

 

Mike leans in, glaring at Ken’s neck.  “Hey, whoa,” Ken says, pulling back, “what’s up?”

“I was about to ask you,” Mike says, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.  He’s kept humans with particularly fantastic tasting blood around, knows how to care for them and keep them happy – he knows how to drink without creating the deep, horrid scars he sees on Ken’s neck.  Slowly he lifts a hand, presses a thumb against the scars, says, “These aren’t okay – whoever is doing this, you need to leave them.”

“It’s not that simple,” Ken says, voice quiet as his too-blue eyes pierce into Mike.

Mike growls low in response before he steps back, says, “Let me know when you’re ready.”

 

-

 

Three days later, when Ken shows up to rehearsal covered in dark bruises he tries to laugh away – Mike decides he can’t wait. 

(“I just need five minutes,” Mike tells Ken.  “Five minutes and you’re free.”

“Look,” Ken says, “you don’t know what she—”

Mike lets his eyes flash their bright gold-red, says, “I know exactly what she is – just as I know that what she’s doing is against the rules.”

“There’re rules for this?” Ken asks, eyebrows lifted.

Mike doesn’t know if there were actual _rules_ ; he just knows what Domina taught him – knows that when one Keeps humans, the humans were to be treated with love and respect.  “Just because we’re technically dead,” Mike says, “doesn’t give any vampire the right to be cruel.”)

The vampire is barely 50 years into _being a vampire_ and cocky despite it – making the fight quick, much to Mike’s disappointment.

Mike surges forward, his fangs dropped and claws extended as he rips and tears into flesh that has yet to harden with age, before jumping backwards before she could get her own claws up.  The younger vampire tries to scream around her torn open throat, the gargling sound something Mike simply sneers at.

“You’ll heal,” Mike snarls, even as he curls his claws into the other’s chest, “but if I ever catch a whiff of your scent near Ken, I’ll rip your **_fucking_** _head off_.”

The vampire snarls half-heartedly before she forces herself to her feet and takes off.

 

-

 

That night, Mike takes Ken home, lavishing him with affection and washing away the scent of the other vampire.  Showing him exactly how he was supposed to be treated.

“If you keep this up,” Ken says, closing his eyes with a sigh and falling further back into the bed’s many pillows, “I’m not going to leave.”

Mike smiles softly at him, presses a kiss to Ken’s forehead and runs a finger through Ken’s hair.  “Stay as long as you like,” he says, “just know that I’m vetting any future significant others.”

“Okay,” Ken chuckles, “are all vampires this territorial?”

“Yes,” Mike answers flatly, “we’re very greedy creatures.”

 

-

 

Ken stays for three months before he leaves Mike’s house with a soft kiss and a promise to allow Mike to keep looking after him.

(“You’re under my protection,” Mike had explained, “but you’re not, like, _mine_.  I don’t have your blood rights or anything like that, but I’ll still fuck up anyone who messes with you.”

“Is this something I have to declare if another vampire comes sniffing around?” Ken asked.

“Nah,” Mike said, tapping his nose, “they’ll smell it.”

Ken opened his mouth to ask more, but instead he shrugged, said, “Okie dokie,” and left it at that.)

 

-x-

 

“I thought vampires couldn’t stand the sun?” Richie asks.  It’s the first thing he’s said to Mike in the week since he walked in on Mike feeding from an older woman.

Mike blinks at first, but then says, “I’m, uh, _old_ , so it doesn’t bother me.”

Richie nods as if this explains everything before he asks Mike to help him go over their newest routine (a routine Mike knows for a fact Richie has already perfected).

 

-x-

 

Adam waltzes his way into Mike’s life and Mike finds himself falling in love again.

 

-

 

Part of Adam’s allure for Mike was his youthfulness, his desire to learn from Mike and to be near him.  (“I think we should be best friends,” Adam says, young and drunk and awkward and it’s the easiest thing in the world for Mike to agree.)

Mike’s nostrils flare as he leans in, puts his nose to Adam’s neck, his fangs itching to drop and to take the boy for his own.  But instinct stops him, makes him pull away.  There was a hunger in Adam, something _wrong_.  Like scenting ozone in the split second before a lightning strike – a hint of what there’s no running from.

(“There are some humans who should never be Turned,” Domina had said once, her finger trailing down the side of Ra’s sleeping face before looking back up to Mikael, “no matter how beautiful they are or how much you love them.  In time, your instincts about such things will sharpen and you’ll understand what I mean.”)

Looking at Adam, at how Adam’s pupils are blown wide with lust, at how his breath hitches in his chest as he darts glances at Mike’s lips, and Mike is tempted to ignore his instinct.

Instead, he keeps his fangs sheathed when he presses hard kisses to Adam’s neck.

 

-

 

“Last I checked,” Mike says, keeping himself between Dallas and Adam, “it was The Kid and I’s reputation that was making the ‘big move’ for you.”

Dallas stands, slinks over, says, “The fuck did you just say, Mike?”

“You heard me,” Mike answers, feeling himself straighten; silently wondering if Dallas was really such a fool that he would try to intimidate Mike as if Mike were nothing but a Fledgling freshly crawled from his grave.  (The thought gives Mike pause and he suddenly longs for Domina in a way he hasn’t for six years.)

“You better check yourself, _old friend_ ,” Dallas starts, but the second the snarl begins to rise from Dallas’s throat – Mike’s hand lashes out and _squeezes_ ; he’s had enough of Dallas and his ineffectual postering.

“Oh, shit!” Adam and Tobias cry out, Tobias’s chair scraping as the DJ quickly stands.

Mike doesn’t pay any attention to them, just lets his eyes flash as he pulls Dallas in close so that their noses almost brush.  “I’ve tolerated a lot of your fucking me around, _old friend_ ,” Mike growls, “but my patience with you ends the second you dare to bare your fangs at me.  Next time you do it – I’m ripping your fucking guts out and hanging them all over this stage.”

“That won’t kill me,” Dallas wheezes, trying to claw at Mike’s hand – but Mike’s skin is hardened with his centuries and Dallas’s claws, while in human skin, are useless against him.  Dallas would need to fully shift in order to put his full power into his claws and fangs.

“No,” Mike says, dropping Dallas into a graceless heap on the floor, “it won’t.  Remember that.”

“You won’t walk out,” Dallas calls out at Mike’s retreating back, “you won’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Mike stops, feeling his hands curling into fists.  _Enough_ , he thinks to himself before he turns to Tobias, says, “Take The Kid and get out.  Don’t come back in until I get you; don’t let anyone else in, either.”

Tobias doesn’t hesitate as he grabs a reluctant Adam and pulls him forcibly towards the entrance, muttering in Spanish about staying out of the way of crazy supernaturals.  As soon as Mike hears the front door close behind them, he drops his fangs and whirls on Dallas who was mid-shift.

 

-x-

 

Dallas limps out of the club, trembling violently with the strain to keep himself upright.  As he makes his way towards the parking lot, he doesn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

“What happened?” Adam asks, going to check Dallas’s face – but he’s jerked backwards by Tobias.

“Don’t touch him,” Tobias whispers, turning Adam and shoving him back into the club, “you touch him and he may lash out.”

 

-

 

The interior is absolutely destroyed – chairs and tables broken, rafters pulled down, overhead lights and lamps shattered with blood-covered glass everywhere.

“It looks like a bomb went off in here,” Adam says.

“Close enough,” Tobias says, shaking his head as he heads towards the back room – calling for Mike.

Mike doesn’t answer.

 

-x-

 

“Hello, childe.”

Mikael walks slowly into her room before slowly getting down to his knees, whispers, “Domina.”

 

-z-

 

End.


End file.
